And they were incredibly selfish Olivia could not help think as she sat and watched at the adults take into the turn of the events. “Before you ask. I do not know why Alex went with them, except I figure to keep his sister out of trouble because Amelia is just asking for yes, trouble” she muttered as it was very clear that her friend was looking for something that made sense and was smitten with Zack and because of the obvious events of the evening. Amelia was not going to allow Zack to walk away after losing Greg to his not wanting to be around her, or Roswell, and picking another country over her.
“Are you okay?” Liz asked her daughter as she and Olivia were taking some alone time as the other mulled a new direction for the night.
“I am fine Mom,” Olivia promised. “I am just annoyed they elected to leave me here, and that Alex
actually went with them” she muttered.
“Because I expected it of Zack sure, and even from Amelia. But Alex, that is something quite different.”
“He probably wanted to protect you?” Liz murmured as she looked at her best friend who now did not know where both of her kids were, and what trouble they would be finding themselves in now, that they were all on alone, with someone who wanted to run from the law, because of the rap he was taking for someone else.
“It’s stupid,” Olivia muttered. “This whole thing is also stupid,” she sighed as she wished to go home, and back to that normal life she had been so bored with that she had to confuse everything, and change what she had, and now she wanted it back.
“Yes, it is” Liz said as she looked over at her friend once again. Michael was currently on the phone. “I cannot believe Alex was getting his friends to bring you tips?”
“Technically his friend is the one who spotted Amelia and Zack, and brought the tip to Alex, and Alex came to me and we came racing,” she sighed. “Alex did not ask his friends to do any of it.”
“It opens up a lot of risk,” Maria muttered as she was listening to the conversation. “But that is what my kids seem to want with their life.”
“Well, I want us to go back to normalcy,” Olivia sighed. “I want my normal life back?”
So, do I Liz thought but then she glanced over at her husband who was pacing along with Michael as they were both on a conference call with Serena. But Liz also knew if things went back to normal, then that might mean she would not have Max in her life, because he did not have to tell her, but she knew he was going to sacrifice himself to protect her and Olivia by the end of this.
I have loved that man for nearly twenty years she told herself.
I know when he is going to take the bullet for me, she sighed to herself. And that was what she was fearing when this was all over.
Losing Max again…
Across the room, Michael was grunting as he let in Kyle who was joining the fun as he opened the door and at the same time listened to Serena who had lost track of Barker,
Predictable he muttered to himself as there was a stop on the call. “Serena, what is it?” Michael was muttering into the phone as he nodded to Kyle. “Yes, there is a television here, why?” he asked again. “Tell me, what is it?” he sighed. “Fine, we will call you back.”
“Turn to channel 47” Michael muttered. “Serena would not tell me what it is,” they said as they turned on the television and continued to watch.
“We have shocking footage that was given to us by a concerned citizen,” came the female newscaster, “And we have been allowed to play it...
You are Zan. The son of the rightful King of our home planet; Antar” and Michael went pale as the words played out, and he knew it was the tape that he and Alex had found in Zack’s motel room, and that he had seen that the authorities collected when they first searched Zack’s room and removed
Shit, he said out loud.
“What is that?” Max asked as he clearly had not seen it and wanted to faint when he saw Tess’s face on the television screen.
Michael was unable to comment before the newscast continued to destroy their worlds “The woman speaking” came the newscaster “is said to be someone who died when the army base exploded on the outskirts of Roswell, New Mexico in May of 2002.”
Oh god the room said as they watched in stunned silence as they watched as their lives got exposed. “These last few days we have been telling you the tale of a missing prisoner from the federal penitentiary up north, and we can now identify him as
Max Evans. And there is a link the case of the Roswell runaways. A boy and a girl who ran away some twenty-four hours ago. Well, it has been discovered that one of the runaways, the boy,
Zack Mason is said to be the biological son of Mr. Evans. As he was born to the prisoner when he was a teenager and given up for adoption just prior to the explosion. The child would be adopted by Tony and Jennie Mason of New York, and he came to Roswell in March to seek information on his birth family. Zack’s biological mother, Tess Harding was killed in the same explosion that Mr. Evans confessed to, and the one that sent him to prison for the last nearly seventeen years before disappearing a few days ago,” said the newscaster. “Mr. Evans is married to Elizabeth Parker and has been since May 2002 and they have a sixteen-year-old daughter, Olivia. Ms. Parker and her daughter have been living in Roswell since her husband went to prison, and since her daughter was born the following February. Mr. Evans was also convicted in the assault of his then girlfriend, as they would marry after the incident that took place. Ms. Parker Evans did not want to testify and in recent weeks have been trying to get court approval to see her husband as she has refused to divorce her husband. As I have indicated, their daughter Olivia was born the February after the conviction. We are told he did not know he had a child with is wife. As he had not seen them until just recently when the daughter went to visit her father in prison. We also can say the son that he placed up for adoption is suspected of helping free his biological father…” they said. “Also,
the Sunshine Project set up by Isabel Valenti who is the missing prisoner’s sister is said to be working on the case… Trying to get her brother out of prison which I am told the government is working to prevent because they believe they got the right person for the army base explosion since Mr. Evans confessed to the crime.”
Holy Shit the gang said as they truly were exposed. “What is that tape?” Max asked again, and this time as the television program continued.
“Tess left it for Zack,” Michael muttered. “One of the reasons he came to Roswell,” he sighed as he thought of what they had found in the motel room.
“What was she thinking?” Max asked.
“When was she thinking?” Maria muttered snidely as they tried to figure out where to go now, and now to find the kids. “We would not be where we are today if it was not for Tess,” she muttered. “Maybe our kids would be safe?”
But that was unclear as the woman on the telecast started to speak to the audience. “We have been able to attain footage that shows that Mr. Mason has been showing signs of remarkable powers. And so, has his biological half sister, Olivia Parker. A name her mother gave her to hide her paternity.”
Bullshit Liz muttered. “I did not hide anything. It was always there upfront, but I wanted to protect Olivia was this salacious and unwarranted news intrusion,” she cried as Max took her in his arms as he never would blame her for the fact that his daughter did not have his name because anyone watching Olivia knew she was his daughter. And that he and Liz shared a child together, but it did not help that it was clear they had gotten some phone video taken by an unknown friend of Olivia.
“You did what you did to protect our daughter, yourself” Max said as he continued to embrace a deeply emotionally angry Liz,
I want this nightmare to be over, but she knew that was unlikely now the public had evidence that her family was unusual.
“Shit” they said in unison as the newscast continued with the
unedited version of the fall that had been leaked years before as they had to live through Max and Liz falling from the ground once before, but this time, we see a green a shield that tampers Liz’s fall.”
“Oh my god” Olivia said as she had not seen this footage. Only the one of the government lawyers edited and gave to the court to convict her father. “You really did save her?”
“Yes,” Max murmured. “I would have died for real if she had not survived and been given a chance. Not only because it was your mother who saved my life that day, but she is the only one I wanted in my life” he murmured as he kissed his wife. “I was nothing without you.”
“I needed you to live,” Liz murmured.
“We are still going to have to explain how you came to come out of that window,” Maria muttered. “There was no footage of before the fall” she murmured as it was clear the media had just opened Evans family to very intrusive questions about
who they were “They will want to know why that you can crackle green energy.”
“The government has made us sitting ducks” Michael muttered as he knew they had been the ones to leak the material because while it showed that Max saved Liz from the fall, and that Liz brought him back. Still, it made them seem like they were unnatural and illegal aliens. “Which we are, but how are we going to explain that we are just as normal as every other person in the world. We just have different abilities than the average person.”
*
“Are you insane,” Agent Dave Barker was barking into his phone as he drove towards the town that had the ones he was seeking, and he was getting closer. But he had been stopped by the
unauthorized leak to the press, and he had streamed the newscast from his phone. So, he was forced to take a hiatus from the driving to watch what was said on-line. And it got him talking to his home office. “Give me a break. Someone did this. I do not care what you say that no one knows,” Dave muttered. “I was getting close and the last thing, I need now is for the media to cause a mob and it to impede my hunt?” he sighed. “I do not care who it was not Susan, but it was someone there in my office. Because there is no way the media could have gotten the story if someone at the office, who did not have the evidence we found, and if they had not leaked it,” he muttered as he was started up the engine of his car again “No, this does not help us because it puts a target on those kids” he thought of the Mason and Parker kids.
This was the last thing Barker needed.
“I do not care if you think no one will believe it and they think it is all Hollywood illusions,” Barker muttered because he did not even know if
he even believed it.
No one could be that special or have that kind of abilities he muttered to himself.
“This is Planet Earth, not outer space” he told himself.
But it is 2019 so anything is possible he knew and knew not to discount evidence of something bizarre. Even if those words indicated that the kid’s biological mother had a serious mental issue to talk about Kings, and other planets.
But he did not need the citizens of the state riled up to think that they can catch a few bucks by taking some freaks down…
There were always questions he knew of the case. All the way back to the green field his predecessors had removed from the footage. Now exposed to the whole world. It did make things look different. As it was evidence Parker’s fall was tampered, and she did not have full impact, and it was like Evans was horrified by what was happening, and he took the brunt of it when he could have saved
himself, but he did not, and took the fall for himself. While Parker was seen giving him a “good-bye” kiss and then he wakes up.
And they go off with a newcomer to the scene, a blonde. Maria Deluca now Guerin he was told. The woman who would be the other of one of his runaways’ mother. And someone who the prosecution blamed Evans assault case on, but she testified nothing happened, and charges were dropped because of insufficient evidence. But the Parker attack was upheld and proceeded to a verdict.
Small group he muttered to himself.
And now he had to handle the mob that could result from the evidence on television that they were dealing something spooky and unnatural.
Shit he cursed out loud as he roared his car into action, and the need to find the kids had grown into an imperative.
*
“Yes, I saw the news” Isabel muttered as it was the middle of the night
What is this with these all nighters she cursed to herself. It reminded her of days past, and years past, but now the newest generation was making them relive it, literally. And she hated it. And hated how the news had exposed her family to the public at large.
They did not have to say her name, but she was an
Evans, and her kids were grandchildren of her parents and the nieces of Max Evans. And that mean she was getting calls from the media, asking for a comment. And she suspected her office would be getting inundated with calls from concerned clients because she was being made to be weird, and unique in the press even if she had not been associated to it except the media bluntly mentioned her organization. Which made things especially tenuous.
Thanking god once more that her kids were at a mutual birthday party and would not be home for a few more hours, because they were approaching the end of the school year, and one more reminder that the kids would be home all summer, but for now, she was trying to manage this disaster as Kyle was still out playing wingman.
Tired, but waiting for news. So, she could not go to bed yet, and sighed when there was a knock on the door. Walking out of the kitchen, she went to the door, and opened it. “Mom, and Dad” she smiled as she saw her parents. Phillip and Diane. “What are you doing here?”
“We heard,” Phillip muttered as once again he had been unable and was watching television when the media broadcast the story, and he and Diane came running. “Are you okay?”
“I will not know anything until I get to the office,” Isabel sighed. “Right now, I am just hoping we do have another calamity on our hands.”
“Anything on the kids?” Diane asked as she still was amazed at such a turn of events in the family. “Anything on
any of the kids?”
“They have found Olivia,” Isabel sighed of the rascals of the other kids. “They found the bed and breakfast that Amelia and Zack were holding up in, but only Olivia was there. She thinks that the others walked of, or Amelia and Alex are hoping to prevent Zack from doing something stupid.”
“They are already doing something stupid” Phillip muttered. “And now this story?”
“Which is very unbelievable,” Diane muttered.
“But it’s the truth,” Isabel muttered. “I do not know how they got the footage of the kids. But this is a quite different age given that everyone has a cellphone, and they can take footage from all kinds of angles” she sighed. “Which means there could be a lot more out there, hiding…”
“Yeah,” Phillip nodded. “Honey, if you need help at the office?”
“I think Dad I will be fine” Isabel smiled. “If you want to come in and help, sure, do it, because I could always use the help but then you would not be any more help than I would be given I know how to deal with this, because it is who I am” she sighed. “So, I can deal with it…”
“What is going to happen now?” Diane asked.
“They are headed after the kids” Isabel sighed. “Hopefully, this will be the end of it?”
“Do you think it will be?” Phillip asked.
“I do not know…” as there was another knock on the door, and Isabel sighed
what is this. This is the middle of the night. I was never this popular when I was single, and now it is raining people as she went to the door, and found, Yeah, this is not what I need.
Jeff Parker…
“Jeff, what is going on?”
“What is this about Isabel?” Jeff sighed. “I saw the news. That footage of my granddaughter. And Max’s son” he asked. “Since my daughter is MIA, and I cannot ask her, well, do you know anything about it?
“I know everything about it,” Isabel muttered to herself.
*
“You did not have to come?” Zack muttered as he was the only one in the car that had a driver’s license, so he was the driver. “I did not want Amelia to come, but I could expect it from your sister but you, you were a surprise” he asked. “I would think you would have wanted to be with Olivia?”
“I know she’s safe, but I do not know my sister is safe” Alex muttered as it had been a spur of the moment move to follow his sister. “My sister is being insane and irrational, and so if she was going to risk everything than I might as well come along and make sure you guys do not go down because of this,” he sighed as he knew from his phone that his parents had shown up mere minutes after he and Amelia had left
Just great timing.
“I know you do not trust me” Zack sighed as he looked at the passenger seat and Amelia had fallen asleep with her head against the window. The darkness of the night was giving him time to think and now that things had escalated with Amelia. It made him have second thoughts of what he was willing to risk. Still, he did not want to hurt Amelia, and did not want Amelia to be hurt period.
“We do not know you,” Alex sighed. “You have only been in our lives since March…”
“And yet sometimes we can create mayhem in that time,” Zack sighed.
“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “I do not want my sister to be hurt.”
“I do not want to hurt her Alex, because I do care about her you know” Zack sighed, and it was the truth. “My life is one confusing mess…”
“Yes, it is,” Alex agreed. “All of ours are,” he agreed. “Look Zack. Olivia and I are proof positive what happen if you want too much before you are ready. I love her, but she does not want me right now, and I am okay with that because I want her to be happy. And while I do not know what the future holds, but you are risking a lot if you go forth with this and continue to proceed with this because it is not only you who get ruined by the end of it. My sister also gets her name tied to yours, and tried in court…”
“I did not want her to come along” Zack muttered.
“But you did not stop her,” Alex asked. “You could have driven her home. Taking her along only ups the hurt, especially since thing have now taken a turn?”
“Yeah,” Zack sighed.
“I am warning you Zack,” Alex sighed. “You are protecting Olivia and I admire that, and as I have said. I would have done the same thing if I could have, but it is not Olivia you have to think about now, because she is safe. Because of being with you, Amelia is not…”
“I know,” Zack agreed as they stopped talking and continued to drive and shortly after Alex fell off to sleep and it was only Zack who was awake, and looking over at Amelia and thinking of their night together, and seeing the texts popping up on his phone from Jennifer
Where are U? What is going on? Are you going to talk to me? Why?
Zack could only sigh and turn his glance over at a sleeping Amelia and he made his decision, and he turned around, and started going back towards.
Roswell
*
“Jeff,” Isabel murmured as she was facing the reality of being back at home and dealing with the fallout of the newscast that had outed her niece and Max’s son, as being different and tying it to the night where everything changed for Max and Liz. In Vermont. Where they had a chance at a miracle shot. Taking the chance of a lifetime. She was aware that the Parker did not know about Liz’s or even Olivia’s powers. They knew about Max. And everyone. But they did not know it could be inherited into the next generation, depending on the child. “I know, I know.”
“This is insane” Jeff asked as he reflected on the news piece on television when he was flipping around the television because he had been unable to sleep. Because his mind was on his daughter, and granddaughter, and stopped when he saw the talk of his daughter’s name, and then he was totally confused by what he saw… “Are you telling me?”
“Yes,” Isabel said simply.
“Why did my daughter not tell me?” Jeff asked.
“Because she was aware of how you felt about my brother. You already were looking at her negatively, and she did not want you to look at her or Olivia differently,” she muttered. “Let’s face it you would have…”
“No, I would not have” Jeff sighed.
“Would you not?” Isabel asked as she glanced wearily at Jeff,
we all know how you reacted back then she mused. “You already were looking at my brother differently. Michael, and any of us, right?” she said as reflected as while it was fun to eat at the Crashdown. After everything went down.
Being there was harder to be without Max, but also because she knew the Parkers were unsure about them…
“My only reluctance was because of what happened between your brother and my daughter,” Jeff sighed.
“Which was wrong,” Isabel muttered. “All the assumptions of that night are wrong. If you saw the program, then you know what happened?”
“Still,” Jeff muttered as he thought of the footage of that night, and
it did look like Max had protected his daughter and sent out a buffer to save his daughter but then she remembered the one that played in court. The one that did not have any green glow attached to it.
“You have to face that it’s a very unique and complex relationship that your daughter and Max have, and they love each other” Isabel muttered.
“Anyone who was in the story at any point back then knows this, and even today, Olivia is the same girl she was yesterday before you knew,” he sighed. “Yes, she has abilities. But she is normal. And she is very smart and has the world at her fingers.”
Jeff nodded. “My daughter?”
“Is the same,” Isabel sighed. “Truthfully, Liz does not do much with her abilities, but she has been changed since Max saved her life. Which is what Max was doing Jeff. My brother hated hurting her and would not have wanted to live if the fall had been successful,” he sighed. “It’s an extraordinarily complex situation. And I know your daughter has tried to explain it to you. But Max did not want to hurt your daughter, and was fighting against it, and that is why they went out the window. So, that Liz would not die…”
“She could have died,” Jeff sighed.
“You saw the tape yourself,” Isabel sighed. “Max saved her and then she saved him.”
“I only want my daughter and granddaughter to be happy,” Jeff muttered.
“Then you should accept that Max makes them happy,” Isabel sighed because she was not convinced whether the fates were aligning or not to allow the happiness for those who loved Max. “Assuming life will let them be together” she sighed. “I am not saying my brother was a saint. No, he was not. We
all did our share… And of course, he certainly did make his fair share. So, yeah, none of us are model citizens, but my brother has been unfairly tagged all these years for a something he consciously had no control in doing. And if he were in the right mind, he never would have done it.”
*
The parents were now on the road. They were following the car with
three of the kids, or they hopefully were as Max and Liz, along with their daughter was now in the car with Kyle as he was called into action to take in the married couple and their daughter given, they needed the space. The hideout was cleaned up and cleared out, all tucked into the car that Michael and Maria were following in. Once done. There was no evidence that they had been there when finally, they all loaded into the two cars and headed for the open roads.
They had no idea where Barker was, and the circles of direction they were going was confusing, and maybe even confusing the federal agent. Who was also driving all over the place, not unlike the parents in pursuit of the kids?
And now having to stop for the umpteenth time for gas.
*
Meanwhile it was obvious once Alex and Amelia had woken up that they were headed back towards Roswell. Zack was not talking, and neither were going to say they should do the opposite because it was Zack’s life on the line. Sure, Amelia would be in trouble but not as much as Zack.
Of course, they
did not know they had been exposed. Or Zack and Olivia were, with the state now knowledgeable about their abilities. Or having serious questions about them. So, they stopped at a gas station to get more gas, and something to eat and drink for the car. “Are you even thinking about Greg?” Alex asked of his sister.
“Why should I?” Amelia asked. “He left me?”
“You left him,” Alex muttered as he could only shake his head
and here, I was the one who mucked my future “Amelia, you have a right to be mad, but you did not have to react like you did.”
“No, I did not” Amelia agreed. “But I did, and so it is over now, and I have to think about the future,” she sighed. “My future”
“Is Zack your future?” Alex asked.
“I do not know,” Amelia allowed. “Neither of us have talked. In fact, we have just acted on impulse so far, and nothing more than that, so how do I know what will be between us when reality decides to show up, and all this adrenaline ends” she sighed because she was not crazy because she knew that she was riding on the high of the adrenaline, and not much else as Zack returned to the car with the bag of stuff.
“Are we ready to go?” Zack asked.
“Yes,” Amelia nodded, and Alex only shook his head but got in the car and started to drive, as they were not taking the quickest route. They were also making sure they were not caught. And unfortunately, the car was not the best buy. It was clearly failing. And they finally needed to make a new stop in the next town, as Amelia was preparing to use some of her powers to get the car to work so that they could get back to Roswell.
“You should not do that,” Zack muttered as he had the front car hood open, and they were looking in on the sick engine. “No one is going to believe you know how to deal with this?” he asked as Alex had gone into use the washroom.
And it was only the two of them, alone, for the first time in several hours. Since being busted by Olivia, and Alex. “And you know before…”
“Before what,” Amelia smiled, and it brightened Zack’s night to see that smile again. “I am the one who seduced you, and I will explain to the cops or my parents or whatever they end up being with you and me” she sighed as she thought of the epic apology that she would have been giving to her parents if they ever get home.
“I could have stopped, and I should have you know” Zack sighed.
“You said that before,” Amelia chuckled. “And I did not let you,” she allowed. “I wanted you, and I still want you even if you were a jerk for trying to walk away from me after you get me into bed” she sighed as Zack only shook his head as he tried to focus on the car’s engine which was overheating and having other issues as he tried to ignore the stare coming from Amelia as she looked at him.
“Amelia,” Zack murmured.
“What?” Amelia asked innocently as she let her hand touch his, slowly. “Just being supportive,” she said. “You know I took shop you know at school, and I passed with flying colors. So, I think I know a thing or two about making engines roar.”
“Amelia,” Zack sighed.
“Go ahead and try,” Amelia smiled as she leaned next to them and moments later, they were kissing. “You taste good.”
“You too, but I have to concentrate on the car so I can take you hope and keep my trouble to a more manageable five hundred degrees,” Zack sighed.
“Already too much of a lost cause,” Amelia observed. “Goes for your legal trouble too, but I am talking about the car mostly,” she laughed as she pushed him away. “Let me, because it is obvious that you are too much of a novice in this stuff.”
“How so?” Zack asked.
“You know why,” Amelia laughed as she leaned down, and went to work, and soon the engine was crackling, and was singing a slightly better and healthier tune, “I thought so” she smiled as she turned to Zack as Alex was coming out of the bathroom. “Are we finally going to get on the road?”
“If you are ready?” Alex asked.
Although before they were able to get in the car, it was clear they were being observed, and had been for the last minutes even though none of them had been aware. “Are you one of those freaks we see on television,” came a voice and it made the three twist around. “They said it was only the guy, but you are one of them too” they pointed at Amelia as it was obvious to Amelia and Zack that they had seen the display of green crackling…”
“What did you say?” came Zack.
“I called you a freak, because you are one” said the man who had been drinking too much by the obvious beer in his hands, and was with a buddy, and neither were in any condition to be making accusations, but they were now “You people were on television” came the man.
“I do not know what you are talking about” came Zack murmured. “You should leave us alone because you have been obviously drinking too much, and you will not remember this encounter or what you were saying in the morning.”
“I think we will,” said the men in unison.
“You were on television,” came the man was only slightly less tipsy than his partner. “We saw you?”
“I do not know what you are talking about,” Zack sighed as he looked over at Alex. “Get in the car Alex and Amelia…” as Alex nodded and went towards his sister, but the men clearly was not having it as they approached Amelia first. “Step away from her” demanded an angry Zack as none of them knew of the program on television. So, they were at a clear disadvantage and now they were becoming aggressive and coming after Amelia.
“Why should I?” came the response.
“Because you will not like what we will do” Alex muttered as he approached with Zack as Amelia was not silent in this as she pulled herself out of the grip of one of the men. “Do not touch me loser.”
“You are a freak,” came the man.
“You should not be saying that because that is not true,” Amelia murmured. “I am not a freak. All I am, is a girl, and an American citizen just like any of us” she sighed as she
did not know what had been on television, but it had clearly teed these people off. Although the alcohol in their blood also did not help matters.
“You were crackling green stuff,” said the man… “I saw you. The both of you,” came the man. “And the girl most of all. She did something to that engine, and I saw smoke, and then it was running smoothly,” he said. “What did you do?”
“None of your business,” Amelia muttered.
“You have clearly been drinking too much,” said Alex. “All we were doing is looking at the car engine, and now that we have then you can let us go, and we will head on home” he sighed as he had his phone on standby and was connecting a SOS to Olivia, and a clear signal of where they were… “We were minding our own business, so do not mind us, and go back to your drinking.”
“The hell will I let you leave,” said the man. “These two are wanted fugitives, and she’s clearly not normal” he said. “Maybe him too. So, I think we will get a bundle of money for these two,” said the man. “Bob, give me my gun?”
As Bob handed the man his gun and now the three knew they were in
deep deep trouble.